I believe that pages 2-4 of Bangkok Post should not be named 'national', etc. - 'graft' would be more fitting. Every single day, billions of Baht gone astray and never any reports of culprits ever jailed. The anti-corruption team even being torn off a strip by Chan-O-Cha for daring to ask him to take a personal interest.

On a lighter note, best headline so far this year: "US man fingered over thumb theft".

Billions go astray every day is a bold statement. Agree corruption can be described as rife but where do you get your data

As I said, my 'data' is the Bangkok Post inside pages. My meaning was reports every day of missing billions, quite honestly the zeros are staggering. Would you be happier if I'd said 'every week'? Does it make the problem 'manageable'?

The next main chance is going to be: "the cost of setting up a bullet train from the capital to Chiang Mai could run as high as 627 million baht per kilometre" (Bkk Post, 31st Jan), although I guess Chinese 'officials' may trouser some of the run-off on that one.

Anyway, If the below is just one example (THB 90 bn. graft for rice storage alone), how much is the total cost of both reported and unreported graft?

Majority say Prayut govt won't be able to root out corruption: Poll
A majority of people say the government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will not be able to solve the corruption problem as it is so deep-rooted in society, according to a survey carried out by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.

The poll was conducted on March 13-17 on 1,157 people throughout the country to compile their opinions on corruption cases involving several government agencies currently in the news.

Asked what causes corruption and how it can be eradicated, most of the respondents -- 44.22% -- said corruption in the bureaucracy is deep-rooted and has long caused considerable damage to the country; 28.67% said the bureaucracy should undergo a major overhaul; 19.00% said it has damaged the government's image and reputation; 12.67% said the laws are full of loopholes, conducive to corrupt practices; and 8.00% said the media should keep reporting on corruption cases in a straightforward manner.

Asked to comment on whether corruption has affected people's confidence in the Prayut government, 40.97% said it has considerably affected the government's credibility; 22.13% said it has indicated inefficiency on the part of the government in tackling the problem; 21.26% said it has a small negative effect on perceptions of the government and 15.64% believed it has not affected the people's confidence in the government at all.

Asked whether they think the government will be able to solve the problem, 56.61% said "no", 23.42% said they are uncertain, and 19.97% said they think the government can use its extraordinary powers to get rid of it.

Corruption is endemic in Thai society from the car wash attendant who accepts a bribe to move your car up to the next wash, to the traffic policeman who pulls you over for an invented infraction, to the government official who issues building permits and up and up it goes. I think that Thais like it this way as it allows them to bribe someone in order to obtain what they want. It's gone on in Asian societies for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and they see no reason to change. You know, if it's not broke, don't fix it. The problem only arises when Westerners try to change the system. It will interesting to see what the elected-for-life emperor of China does. He says he want to root out corruption, clean up the cities and provide education and health care for all. Oh, for a benevolent dictator.

Thais like it this way as it allows them to bribe someone in order to obtain what they want. It's gone on in Asian societies for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and they see no reason to change. You know, if it's not broke, don't fix it. The problem only arises when Westerners try to change the system.

But you know, Herr General justified the coup as a stage for getting rid of corrupt politicians and forgive me if I am wrong, but there is a huge stink on Thai social media going on about various acts pf corruption taking place at the moment.

I'm not sure what your reference to westerners is about in respect of corruption, but if you mean democracy, I thought the Thais tried to lay the foundations for that in 1932. It only seems a few and the army who seem intolerant of it?

Thais like it this way as it allows them to bribe someone in order to obtain what they want. It's gone on in Asian societies for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and they see no reason to change. You know, if it's not broke, don't fix it. The problem only arises when Westerners try to change the system.

But you know, Herr General justified the coup as a stage for getting rid of corrupt politicians and forgive me if I am wrong, but there is a huge stink on Thai social media going on about various acts pf corruption taking place at the moment.

I'm not sure what your reference to westerners is about in respect of corruption, but if you mean democracy, I thought the Thais tried to lay the foundations for that in 1932. It only seems a few and the army who seem intolerant of it?

My comment about westerners trying to change the system has to do with the complaints about the system and puffed up indignities about bribery. I don't condone it or participate in it and I know there's nothing I can or want to do about it. It's not my country. I didn't know about the Thai social media stink.
Maybe the next constitutional change will install the little dictator for life, then he can clean up the mess.